


The Devil Files - Box 1

by Melethril



Series: Reverence For Life [3]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Canon episode tags with a devilish addition, Episode Tag, Episode: s03e18 The Crossing, Episode: s03e20 Lo-Fi, Episode: s04e01 Mayhem, Episode: s04e02 The Angel Maker, Episode: s04e03 Minimal Loss, Episode: s04e04 Paradise, Gen, The BAU is awesome, The devil with the BAU helps solving cases
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2020-11-02 11:36:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20732702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melethril/pseuds/Melethril
Summary: Lucifer has joined the team after 3.16 (Elephant's Memory) and he helps solving cases along with the BAU.The Devil Files will contain everything from short snippets to longer one-shots.





	1. The Crossing (s03e18)

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, everyone. Here is the promised start of the Devil Files... 
> 
> I will do my best to publish 1 episode every two weeks. In parallel, I will do my best to write on the next original Case fic ("Like Ashes in the Wind"), which will hopefully be updated every two weeks as well.
> 
> No promises, though, since work promises to be very busy in the couple of weeks.
> 
> Again, for the people who don't want to be spoiled about CM or who don't want to read episode recaps/rewrites: Reading these stories are not necessary for the Main stories...

The case of Audrey Henson was the perfect opportunity to introduce Lucifer to the work of the BAU. It was not actually a field case, but it would bring Lucifer into contact with someone who admitted to having committed a murder, but who may have gone through years of abuse beforehand and for whom murder had been the only way out.

While he could theoretically send their latest member along with the rest of the team, Aaron found himself unwilling to let Lucifer go on his first field case with only part of the team present. While he trusted Morgan to be an excellent acting Unit Chief, the stress that this position brought along should not be intensified by being responsible for Lucifer on his first case; in the future, Aaron had no doubt that it could work, but dynamics had to form prior to that.

After talking to the DA, Eve Alexander, and after finding out that, apart from a birth certificate and a marriage license, there was no evidence that Mrs. Henson even existed, they first decided to interview Nathan and Sarah Henson, the teenage son and the nineteen-year-old daughter of the Hensons.

What they had to say about the mother was quite disturbing. They claimed that if anyone was abused, it was their father, Philip Henson. They talked how their mother was a lousy cook who could not keep house and did not do the laundry right, and – even more disturbing – how she needed ‘supervision’ in order to go grocery shopping.

“She’s not very bright,” said Sarah hesitantly.

“Are you saying she’s mentally challenged?” asked Aaron softly.

“No, I’m saying she’s _stupid_,” hissed Sarah, her disdain charring.

“This is your mother you’re talking about!” protested Dave sharply, as taken aback as Aaron. Lucifer was standing on the side, looking unconcerned.

“No, we’re talking about the only parent we’ve ever had!” countered Sarah, her voice as cold as ice.

“I understand,” said Lucifer quietly. “Not the ‘_my father is a saint_’ part, obviously. But the neglectful mother… Now she sounds familiar. You say she never came to any of your school events, your sports activities… Not even when you made something new, something that was utterly unthinkable at the time, correct? I have a mother like that, too.”

Dave caught Aaron’s gaze. As open as Lucifer was about his anger regarding his father, he was just as closed up about his mother (and Aaron still had to wrap his mind around the idea of the existence of a Goddess of all creation, verifying almost all polytheistic cultures and kind of rocking Abrahamic beliefs).

However, given that Lucifer did not lie, he had just admitted in Aaron’s and Dave’s presence that his mother had not reacted favorably to the creation of the stars, even without saying so outloud.

Nathan nodded immediately, grateful for Lucifer’s understanding voice.

“Yes, never. Dad was there for everything. And she just… couldn’t be bothered.”

Lucifer nodded, “A pity, I’m sure. Did she also give that aura of constant scorn and dissatisfaction? Sometimes, she would be lovely. Especially in the early days, there were moments where she would shower you with attention, but then – with the father distracted – she would turn cold and nothing you do is good enough. Correct?”

This was an excellent line of questioning. Both Dave and Aaron, in the face of such disdain for the mother, had been a bit taken aback and not offered any kind of sympathy, which was obviously interpreted as an attack against the father. Lucifer’s understanding was a great way of exploring whether the mother had been abusive with the children.

“No,” hissed Sarah. “Dad was _never_ distracted. He was always there for us. She was just jealous that he loved us more than her and this is why she killed him.”

Aaron decided to chime in, “Why would you have that impression?”

“Because he told her so. All the time.”

Stunned, Lucifer looked at her, “I don’t understand.”

“Thank you for taking your time,” said Dave and once the Henson siblings had left the room, he immediately addressed Lucifer, “Are you okay?”

“They are so cold,” answered the devil quietly, his face crestfallen. “While I absolutely understand being furious with your mother, Mrs. Henson obviously did not hurt them. She may not have left the house much, but-“

“Lucifer,” said Aaron gently. “You asked a great question. This all speaks for battered wife syndrome, only the abuse she suffered from was purely psychological, with the kids somehow included in this grotesque play. Still, we don’t have all the evidence yet, and now it is time to take a look at the crime scene.”

Once they returned from the Henson house, Aaron made a mental note to a) never let Lucifer near an unsecured crime scene given that he had no concept for forensics (unsurprising given that he based his judgment on no physical evidence whatsoever), b) take him to secured crime scenes and make sure he looks at the crime scene photos because he had an extraordinarily good eye for detail and had no qualms in dealing with blood and gore and c) to make sure to take Lucifer to the ME, because of his observational skills.

What they took from the crime scene was that she kept the house meticulously clean, even measuring the spaces between the shirts (“_I’ve never meet a human who can tell the difference between 5 and 5.1 mm. She measured it. Ah, here’s the ruler. She kept it in the closet.”_), and cleaning up the blood from the floor after she shot her husband.

Aaron himself was so focused on making sure that Lucifer fit in with them that he had barely any time to reflect on his own failed marriage, as he might have done ordinarily. Something about Lucifer’s presence had him focus mostly on the bond between the mother and her children.

“Where does it all go wrong?” asked Aaron quietly, looking at the photo of a supposedly happy family.

Dave sighed, and Lucifer took the photo from Aaron’s hands, “This family broke apart years ago. It might have never been whole to begin with. I think she only had children to make him happy. And he was just… it didn’t make him love her more; he probably settled for her in the first place, because she was all he could have. Instead of worshipping her, he poured all of the love he was capable of into his children. Once they grew up and had their own dreams and wishes, that love would have dwindled, too, and he would have treated them just as poorly.”

This bleak, cold assessment of broken family dynamics made Aaron fear for the fate of the universe (there was no way this did not somehow connect to Lucifer’s family and that this would not come down on all of them one day), make him worry for Lucifer (if this was what ‘family’ meant to him, then they had to counter that by living another example) and confirmed to him that inviting Lucifer into the team had been the right choice.

Mrs. Henson was exactly as Aaron had imagined it. Her eyes were wide and haunted, but she was still painfully polite and meek. She was in meticulous shape and her light ginger hair was probably only out of place because she had spent the last couple of nights in prison. Though her eyes were filled with tears, she never cried as she described how she had no other choice but to shoot her husband, and that she only had this one moment to do it, indicating just how afraid she was of Philip even though he never laid a hand on her. She confirmed the emotional abuse in detail, stressing out how she had let herself go after Nathan’s birth, how she could not cook and how she never left the house unless for grocery shopping since she could not bear the thought of embarassing her kids out in public.

Lucifer’s expression was grave as he was listening to her.

The interview was over, and they were about to leave when Lucifer spoke up.

“Love, why kill him? Why not run away?”

“Oh no, no, no, no, no,” she responded immediately, quite agitated. “Philip would have been furious if I had left.”

Lucifer’s facial expression was impossible to interpret. He leaned forward and then said softly, “What do you desire, Mrs. Henson?”

Her eyes were fixed on his, and she started to smile softy, “You know that feeling when you wake up in the morning, and all your limbs are heavy and everything is warm and comfortable?”

Lucifer smiled, “Oh yes, it’s glorious.”

“Yes,” she answered with a trembling smile. She then leaned forward and whispered, “Sometimes, when I wasn’t too tired, I would do my best to wake up at four in the morning, just so that I could enjoy that feeling. That’s what I want.”

With a soft expression, the latest member of the BAU said, “I want you to remember that feeling. Promise me that you’ll hold onto it, no matter how dark the world may seem.”

She gave her promise.

The moment they were out, Dave addressed Lucifer, “What will happen to her?”

“Hard to say,” replied Lucifer quietly. “Her life was punishment enough. She did not kill out of greed or because she wanted it; she killed because he backed her so far into a corner that this was her only way out. Even without laying a hand on her, he destroyed her. I don’t see why she should be punished for that.” He sighed. “Her hell-loop would be an eternity of what she already suffered. Doesn’t seem very fair to me.”

“Will she?” asked Aaron.

“Hm?”

“Will she go to Hell?”

“Can’t say,” he smiled ruefully. “She’s on the brink, but not tagged. Her actions are equivalent to someone fighting for their own life and soul, but…” he sighed. “That’s why I told her to focus on the feeling of peace. It might just be what she needs to not end up in my domain.”

With that being said, they showed Ms. Alexander why Mrs. Henson should not be tried for murder – severe case of psychological abuse and actual indication for Stockholm Syndrom – and, after Mrs. Henson told them that she cleaned up after killing Philip, not to conceal evidence but because he would have been furious if she had let the police into the house after leaving such a mess, Ms. Alexander believed them.

She assured them that Mrs. Henson would be tried for criminally negligent homicide, but that she would get off with probation and time served once the trial was over.

“Thank you for coming with us, Lucifer,” said Dave on their way home.

Lucifer, who had been very quiet, replied, “You didn’t need me for the assessment. You already knew something was wrong when I was still figuring it out.”

“Maybe,” replied Dave. “But you’re still learning and your insights were helpful. Also, while we may have protected her from being unjustly prosecuted as a cold-blooded killer, you possibly saved her soul.”

“It’s impossible to save souls, Agent Rossi,” countered Lucifer. “In my experience, they mostly damn themselves.”

“True,” agreed Aaron, trusting their new friend that he knew what he was talking about. “But your experience is based mostly on the damned souls of people that no longer have the opportunity to redeem themselves because their life already ended. Here on Earth, you can help prevent that. And this is the second time you’ve done it in our presence.”

“The second time?” frowned Lucifer.

“Remember Lily Jones?” reminded him Dave.

“Oh… yes,” replied Lucifer after a moment. “But that doesn’t mean either of them are safe. Their Light is so dim. The scale tips easily when too much darkness is gnawing on you.”

“Maybe,” answered Dave, “but in both cases you helped restore what was broken long before you met them. We can’t save everybody, but today, we did a good thing, and you helped significantly.”

“Thank you, Agent Rossi,” replied Lucifer, looking much happier than before.

Aaron relaxed into his seat.

Dave was right: Despite the tragedy that surrounded this case, this was a good day, and they should enjoy it.


	2. Chapter 2: Lo-Fi (3.20) / Mayhem (4.1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David knew that this case would be trouble from the moment they stepped into the plane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while... I am sorry.  
I did not have too much time, and this was a tough case to write up. 
> 
> This is a bit of an AU rather than a regular CM episode with a Lucifer insert, because I think his presence would change dynamics in this particular episode radically.  
I made also a few changes to the events in the episode itself. Not just entering Lucifer, but regarding the arrangement of who was when where. For those unfamiliar with the episode, you won’t notice. For those that know it by heart: it shouldn’t make too much of a difference in the beginning, but Lucifer’s presence radically changes the events of the second episode.

David knew that this case would be trouble from the moment they stepped into the plane. Cases in New York City always had certain urgency to it, especially since 9/11, but there was something else about it that bothered him. Five seemingly random deaths in broad daylight with its victims murdered execution-style with no obvious motive and no suspect, reminiscent of the Son of Sam, tended to make everyone nervous, but this city in particular.

As if that were not enough, JJ was distracted, and Dave did not know why.

That sense of dread only intensified once he heard the name of the agent heading the FBI-NYPD task force.

SSA Kate Joyner.

Oh, the hire from Scotland Yard was highly competent and had true potential to rise in the ranks of the FBI, but she tended to overcompensate being a female Brit by being overtly authorative and harsh with both the people she worked with and the people who worked for her.

All that, Dave knew they could deal with.

However, Hotch also had a very weak spot for her, which had to do with her incredible resemblence to Haley. Normally, that too would not bother Dave, because the man was loyalty personified: even if he were attracted to the agent, he would never act on it or let it cloud his judgment.

Normally.

The thing was that Hotch was suffering: his separation from Haley was at the absolute worst stage imaginable, he was no long experiencing the stupor that a shattered marriage brought in its wake, but the event was still too close to build any sort wall between his brain and his emotions. In short, the man would react to women he was not half as attracted to as he was to SSA Joyner.

It also did not sit right with Dave that SSA Joyner bypassed JJ and had directly called Hotch instead. It was one thing to call a superior and ask for the BAU’s support using a top-down approach, and it was yet was another to ask for the BAU’s assistance if you knew the team from previous cases, but this had ‘personal favor’ all over it, and Dave was not too happy about it.

Once in New York, any hopes that this case would be just fine were shattered once he met the desolate state that the FBI-NYPD task force was in… not regarding its expertise but regarding interpersonal interaction. As feared, Agent Joyner did not even try to embrace the benefits of working together and used a hierarchical ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ approach.

It was not that Rossi was in any position to scorn her for it. This used to be his favorite attitude to working with others after all. It was just that both working with this particular team and with painful experience, he had learned that this approach tended to bring resentment in its wake.

Detective Cooper would not be too much of a problem. He obviously respected authority, no matter how angry he was. However, his older partner, Detective Brustin was more of a challenge. SSA Joyner had sorely pissed him off, the case worried him, and he did not think too much of the FBI on a good day. He was a beat cop at heart, protective of his city and wary of outsiders. His reaction to Lucifer was particularly hostile, which did not improve once they found the Death tarot card on the body of victim number six and Aaron automatically looked to the devil who took the evidence bag, turned the card once and said dismissively, “You’re right, Agent Hotchner. There’s nothing there. Its carrier had no connection to the card itself.”

Once this case was over, he would ask Lucifer how he knew and what he meant, because this was bound to be interesting. As of now, they needed to make sure that they made swift progress.

“Ever since when does the FBI hire their own Patrick Jane?” asked Cooper incredulously and a bit angrily. “Is ‘civilian consultant’ just a more professional word for a psychic these days?”

“I beg your pardon,” retorted Lucifer, appalled. “I am no ‘psychic’ and most certainly not a fraud pretending to be someone in possession of psychic powers.”

“Then what were you sniffing the card for?” Detective Brustin sneered.

“Detective Brustin,” interfered Agent Hotchner calmly. “Mr. Morningstar is an expert on the occult, and while tarot cards were used as a regular card game in mid-15th century Europe, today it is almost exclusively used for occult purposes. Nothing has so far given us the indication that there could be such a motivation to these crimes, but we had to make sure. Kate, how do you want us to proceed?”

For just a moment, Dave had forgotten that this was in fact an FBI case and not a regular case with some local police department. Usually, he preferred working in-house, but not here.

Even worse, Hotch had earlier told him about Agent Joyner’s fragile position at the Bureau and that Morgan was first in line regarding her replacement at the NY office. Dave really liked Morgan: he was young, ambitious mixed with natural kindness and an easygoing nature while simultaneoulsy possessing an air of effortless authority that would make him an excellent unit or even section chief within the next five to ten years. All he needed was a better head for politics, better control over his temper and people he trusted.

The BAU could provide him with all that and Dave – though he did not doubt that Morgan would excel at the NY office even today – hoped that it would be a few years before the brass decided that they needed him elsewhere.

Usually, Dave trusted Hotch to take Morgan aside and gently explain what was going on, assuring the younger man that this team needed him, now more than ever with the literal devil on their side to whom Morgan had developed a swift and deep bond, and to simultaneously offer his support and advice. Unfortunately, the position that was right under Morgan’s nose was Agent Joyner’s, and Hotch’s weak spot for her was exactly that: a weakness.

Morgan was no fool; of course, he noticed his boss taking sides, and in response, his ambition flared.

Now that they knew that this could be some sort of gang initiation, or at least activity that implied the involvment of more than two UnSubs, Dave actually supported Morgan’s suggestion to be out and about in the streets. When SSA Joyner rejected the idea, the experienced profiler understood Morgan’s frustration, but tempers were running too high and Dave decided not to say anything. What worried him was the fact that Lucifer was unusually serious and quiet. He was observing the scene rather than being involved in it. He had obviously picked up on the human powerplays and general misgivings within the team and the FBI-NYPD task force. Dave had no idea how to interpret all that. It felt a little bit like the quiet before the storm, but he had no idea what or who the storm would be.

On top of all that, there was the issue with JJ that was revealed by the arrival of William LaMontagne, Jr.

_“Will?”_

_“I can’t stand you being on this case and me not being near. Not with what’s going on, JJ.”_

_“Is there a problem?”_

_“What’s going on?”_

_“I’m pregnant.”_

This was wonderful news and Dave was truly happy for her, but it was obvious that JJ was still struggling with the news and that she had not wanted the team to know just yet. Lucifer looked mildly horrified at the prospect of an upcoming baby, and he did not say much as his eyes lingered on JJ’s belly as if a xenomorph-style monster would sprout from it any second. It was mildly amusing, and Dave was kind of grateful that the devil did not voice his thoughts.

This short encounter with Will added yet another layer of tension to already mangled team dynamics since Hotch was personally affronted whenever he believed that members of his team kept secrets from him.

To summarize this first day: things were not going well and Dave could not see how they were supposed to get better any time soon.

On a normal day, Dave enjoyed presenting their profile, but with SSA Joyner actively wanting to be a part of it, thus deliberatly or unconsciously encroaching on Morgan’s territory, with Hotch letting her do anything she wanted, and the NYPD obviously picking up on that and not being receptive to what they found so far, this was one of his least favorite profile deliveries since returning to the BAU.

As if insistent on making him miserable, Garcia called from the Surveillance Command Center to report the seventh victim who was being murdered before her very eyes between 59th and Lex.

“We could’ve had that guy!” exclaimed Morgan, frustrated beyond belief. He had suggested patrolling 59th, and he had been right.

“I had every available man on the street,” protested SSA Joyner sharply, unwilling to show any kind of weakness, least of all in front of the NYPD.

“I said-“ began Morgan, only to be sharply reprimanded by Hotch, but Detective Brustin tasted blood, because he directly addressed Agent Joyner.

“Apparently not. Not one member of the FBI was out last night.”

This led to murmurs of agreement among officers and detectives, dissatisfaction with the current state of the investigation palpable.

Hotch interfered, “Let’s focus.”

“Focus?” Morgan echoed disbelievingly. “As far as I can see, all your focus is on her.”

“Take a walk!” barked Hotch, before continuing more quietly but no less sharply. “Now.”

“_Enough!”_

It was almost interesting how Lucifer could make his voice sound like the slash of a whip. It made sense. He was the devil. Dave knew that. He also knew that he would never hurt them. That did not keep him from flinching like everyone else.

Their latest member’s eyes were dark and unfathomable and Dave just knew that they were a hair’s breadth away from smoldering red.

“Perhaps,” said Lucifer quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, “it’s time for all of you to stop comparing the length of your members, metaphorically speaking, forget about rank and who’s in charge, and actually focus on the case at hand. That means for you, Agent Morgan, to keep your ambition in check. It isn’t a vice as long as it’s not destructive, but you are walking on a tightrope today. For you, Agent Hotchner, remember the dangers of lust and Agent Joyner, remember that career comes second to the people you’re sworn to protect or pride will be your downfall. Agent Brustin, you who so strongly advocate for the FBI to take this personally, know that I’ve never lived in New York, and I never had the slightest inclination to do so. I’ve never been a cop, and I am not an FBI agent. Think of me as God’s Wrath in the Old Testament. Quiet until someone sets it off. These murderers have. I couldn’t care less about your little power plays and your constant bickering about how we just don't understand each other.” His tone was mocking and distinctly inhuman.

“Now, here's how this is going to go. You're either going to get a hold of yourselves and start working together like professionals, put aside your feuds and petty little desires or I will find these little sinners by myself and you will face the consequences for that, because me?" he chuckled coldly. "I can deal with the heat. I promise you, you can't."

Nobody dared to breathe after that reprimand.

“You delivered a profile,” said Lucifer, “But something keeps bothering me. I’ve punished my fair share of gang members, and they usually don’t kill so many bystanders, and certainly not randomly without at least enganging in a gang war. Packs, as you call them, kill together. There has been no escalation, no mockery, no dialogue with the press. This is cold. This is dispassionate and there is only one group of people that kills civilians without conscience for the sole purpose of spreading fear. Of course, they usually try to justify themselves. There’s a whole section in Hell reserved for them. They come in many different faces, but at their core, they’re all the same regardless of their political or religious view.”

“Terrorists,” breathed Reid.

A hush fell over the room. No terrorist group had claimed the deaths for themselves, but this was probably just the initial phase. They were planning something big.

Lucifer’s warning and comments were exactly what was needed to keep the show running.

This time, every available member of the task force was out and about in the streets with the exception of Reid who had stayed behind to further work on the geographic profile. Dave and Lucifer teamed up.

“Thank you,” said Dave as soon as they were alone. “That kick in the rear? We really needed it.”

Lucifer scoffed, but he remained silent, his eyes scanning the population.

“Any chance we could use that soul-catcher of yours? What is a soul-catcher anyway? You mentioned it back in LA before… before.”

“Before you realized I was not a crazy person?” smiled Lucifer, the first smile he had cracked since this whole case started going off the rails. “As Lord of Hell, you know where every single soul is located. My memory is absolute. But my demons don’t have that luxury. It helps them find souls. It’s only meant to be used in Hell. Possibly Heaven. Not Earth though.”

“Why?”

“Because a human soul is Light and for the device to work properly, natural and far brighter sources of Light need to shut down. Here on Earth, that includes the sun. I made the soul-catcher. It’s powerful enough to turn off all the light.”

“No option then.”

“Nope.”

Shortly after, they heard that Detective Cooper was shot while out with Emily. It further confirmed their suspicions of this being a terrorist attack. Given how they operated, they first suspected that this was a classic trial run to take out a wave of civilians first and then a second wave of first responders, but Morgan had his doubts.

“Something doesn’t add up. I mean, yes, they are targeting civilians now, but what Emily told us… Suicide by cop is one thing, but for what? The UnSub didn’t have to wait. This was planned. I think we are the target.”

Hotch was hesitant.

“Think about it, Hotch. We are being watched. These guys are organized. Dispassionate. They’ve made no claims regarding their attacks. I think their first wave is not going to be civilians. It’ll be us. They know where we are. They know how we operate.”

“Morgan’s right,” confirmed Hotch, effectively eradicating the tension that was still in the air. Dave looked to Lucifer who met his eyes briefly and smiled. “We’ve got to be careful. Garcia, normally we would go to our cars and drive either to our hotel,” he looked to JJ who was about to return to her hotel to catch up with Will who had literally handed in his badge to be there during JJ’s pregnancy, “and places relevant to the case. Please, locate our cars and check whether they were tampered with.”

“Typing at the speed of light, sir. I am checking, I am checking, I am… oh my! Your car, sir. The one assigned to you. A guy just placed something under it and… the son of a bitch is still in the area, waiting. What is he doing?”

“He’s going to handtrigger the bomb,” said Emily, her eyes wide.

“I’m calling Bomb Squad,” said Detective Brustin, already walking away, while Morgan looked ready to get down there by himself and arrest the man.

“Wait,” protested Reid. “That’s not all of it. Two FBI agents… that cannot be the prime target. It’s the first wave. We don’t know what they’ve planned next. If we arrest him, the other members of the cell might lash out and do something we cannot predict.”

“We’ve got to decide quickly, he’s not going to wait forever.”

“I have an idea,” said Emily, smiling as she looked at Lucifer. “Can you still do that trick you mentioned, Lu-Mr. Morningstar?”

They were still getting the hang of not calling him by his first name on cases.

“Trick?” Genuinely confused, Lucifer looked at her.

“Yes, that ‘smoke and mirrors’ trick you’ve internalized years ago.” She looked to Detective Cooper, “It looks like he can fly. It’s almost like an explosion can’t touch him. As long as he knows it’s coming, he’ll be fine.”

She was being deliberately vague, letting the people unaware of Lucifer’s identity fill in the blanks for themselves.

“Yes,” said Lucifer, smiling the moment he caught on. “I can do that.”

“Wha-ah, you grew up in a circus, didn’t you?” said Detective Brustin. “That’s why you do your magician act. Family trade.”

“There has definitely been a circus going on. And a lot of flying through the air. And explosions. My father didn’t believe in safety nets. I am the closest thing to bullet proof you’ll ever meet, detective.”

Ouch.

One of these days, Dave would be able to listen to tales about Lucifer’s father without feeling like he wanted to curl up in a corner and die.

“So, you suggest that Mr. Morningstar approaches the car, waits for the UnSub to press the button and we arrest him?” asked Agent Joyner slowly.

“No, I suggest we bring down the whole cell. Lu-Mr. Morningstar approaches the car, pretends to be badly hurt in the explosion, and we keep tabs on the UnSub, waiting for what happens next. It’s much easier to think when nobody is actually hurt.”

“That’s insane!” protested Detective Cooper. “What makes you think that the intent is to hurt but not to kill?”

“Why else would the UnSub be sticking around?” said Morgan, smiling at Emily to show his support. “Lucifer can apprehend him if the bomb doesn’t go off in time. We either get one UnSub or, if we’re lucky, we get the whole terrorist cell.”

“What if he has a weapon?” protested Agent Joyner, not at all happy with the suggestion. “I’m not willing to risk Mr. Morningstar’s life on a whim. Where are you going?”

“To the car,” said Lucifer, walking toward the exit. “It’s an excellent idea.”

“Lu-Mr. Morningstar,” began Hotch and stepped forward. Lucifer stopped, turned and the smile he bestowed on their Unit Chief was soft.

“Agent Hotchner, I never thought that I would be the one to say this, but please, have faith. In your team’s skills and my abilities.”

The BAU Unit Chief was momentarily stunned, but he recovered quickly and beautifully, “I always have faith in my team, Mr. Morningstar. And that includes you.”

An eons-old fallen angel should not look like that shy kid in school that reacted to a teacher’s praise like it was the best thing they had ever heard.

True to his word, Hotch supported the idea, and – while a truly horrible idea for their nerves…. no matter how invincible, it was truly unnerving to see Lucifer being thrown through the air from the blast of an exploding vehicle – he had made the right choice. With Dave, Morgan and the two detectives on the ready, they managed to first apprehend “Sam“, the man who had placed bomb, and later, Hotch, Emily and Agent Joyner then apprehended the bomb builder and leader of the cell, after realizing that the primary target of the terrorist cell was a person protected by the Secret Service currently being treated at a hospital.

It was a miracle that nobody died.

Or not so much divine intervention as the devil himself pulling the strings rather ruthlessly.

On their way back to Quantico, after Hotch used their brief trip to apologize to Morgan in private and further apologized to the team as a whole for his temporary distraction, Dave still remembered what Lucifer had told the two terrorist once he had a moment alone with them.

_“Ah yes, I know. Nothing I say will change your conviction. You believe that you are in the right and that whatever you do, is absolutely justified to achieve your goals…” The chuckle was low and cold. “Oh yes, please, roll your eyes, it will make my punishment a million times sweeter. You see, like so many others before you, you don’t fear torture or pain. After all, you are as sure in your belief as few will ever be throughout their lives. Doubt is natural. It is a necessity. Sometimes, it’s the only thing that will keep you from scarring the world the same way you were scarred. Nothing I do or say will change that, but know that I look forward to seeing you again, because whatever you fear the most, you have my word that it will come true. Whatever you thought would be your reward, it will always be blessedly near yet forever out of reach. It will drive you insane. Have you ever, deep down, had doubts? Dreamed that the bomb you planted will kill a loved one? Perhaps a sister? A mother? A brother? Your fellow monsters? They will die before your very eyes. Over and over again, and there is nothing you can do. In your mind, you will keep on murdering them and you’ll despair. You will forget that it’s all just smoke and mirrors. That blissful moment when you wake up from a nightmare only to realize that you’re trapped in a even more horrific dream? _That _will be your reward. For eternity. Enjoy your lives while you can. After death, you’ll be mine.”_

Dave shuddered.

He was glad that these men got their due, but it was undeniably unnerving to witness the devil tear into people. At first, it had looked like they thought he was crazy, they had sneered at Lucifer, one of them even tried to spit at him.

Then, Lucifer smiled.

David hoped that the devil never smiled at him like this.

The terrorists certainly received the message.

They were no longer sneering.

In the end, it was a pretty good case after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering, cards will become a topic in the next main story of the series, so I’m not getting into details (as not to exclude those who are not reading the Devil Files).
> 
> Just so much: The whole cards topic was inspired by Lucifer's appearance in the Arrowverse. It's my only nod to it. This series is its own world and has nothing to do with that DC TV show multiverse idea.
> 
> References:  
> Wikipedia (tarot cards)


	3. The Angel Maker (4.2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Episode vignette with devilish insert)
> 
> There were quite a few things that changed since Lucifer had become a part of their lives, Emily found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very short, but as you can probably see, I am using the Devil Files to also play with my writing style a bit :)
> 
> I hope you like it. Haven't decided what to do with the next episode yet, so I cannot promise a proper one-shot. Might be another vignette.

There were quite a few things that changed since Lucifer had become a part of their lives, Emily found.

It started with simple things like mentioning a small town in Ohio called Lower Canaan and receiving a mildly horrified look in return.

_“How… biblical, but are they insane? Why would anyone invoke the region that claimed the lives of hundreds and name your home that way?”_

_“So, Sodom and Gomorrah truly were situtated in the south of Canaan,” Rossi said in response. “Destroyed for… given your general stance on the subject matter, I would say it had little to do with homosexuality.” _

_Before Lucifer could say anything, Reid said, “Actually, Sodom and Gomorrah weren’t the only cities destroyed. Admah and Zeboiim were destroyed as well. Only Bela, later known as Zoar, was spared.”_

_“Very true, because Dad said that Lot should live and Dad’s orders are absolute unless you want to burn yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly agreed with his judgment in this case. And yes, Agent Rossi, homosexuality was not the crime. Raping others at will, almost raping and killing to of my baby brothers, that was the punishable crime.”_

_“Were you the one who…?”_

_“As a general rule, Dr. Reid, when the bible says something about fire and brimstone, that was usually me.”_

_“I thought you never killed anyone,” said Derek, puzzled. _

_“I haven’t. Not in the sense of having killed out of my own free will, at least. Delivering God’s punishment on the other hand… that I have done. And will probably do again. Hopefully not for a while.”_

It continued with Lucifer’s honest horror at hearing the name of a dead serial killer who had raped and murdered six victims prior to his capture ten years ago and subsequent execution a year prior to this case.

_“The Angel Maker? I am all for mocking the divine, but that is sacrilege of an order that even I would punish severely.”_

And it ended with him giving the first breakthrough in the case before they even began their journey to Ohio.

_“That’s it,” exclaimed Lucifer, annoyed. “Now he’s using my stars for his sick fantasies. I will have to send a message back h… to Hell to make sure he receives additional punishment for his crimes.”_

_“What are you talking about?”_

_“Heavenly Waters. Can’t you see? The patterns on the bodies of his victims. Each body represents another constellation. His set is incomplete, though. He’s missing Vela, Carina and Columba. Although, given that Ms. Grennan’s body wears Vela, I am guessing that his work is being completed by somebody else.”_

_“Reid?” asked Morgan, not even attempting to get a clear answer from Lucifer when his replies were this impatient and curt._

_“The Heavenly Waters,” answered Reid. “They’re a set of constellations derived from Mesopotamian tradition.”_

_“Zodiac?”_

_“It probably inspired him, but he did not want to become known as a copycat.”_

By the time they arrived in Lower Canaan, they already had a rather good profile, though it did not spare the life of Sid Rutledge.

They were able to identify Chloe Kelcher as the Angel Maker’s lover earlier than they would have without Lucifer’s realization, and were thus able to save the life of Maxine Chandler.

Ms. Kelcher herself committed suicide by cop, however, after having punctured the Dove constellation into her own belly, intent on following her lover Cortland Bryce Ryan to death and beyond.

Back on the plane, Emily stared at the files in front of her trying to find the right words for the report. Like the rest of the team, she would not include what happened after the sheriff shot Ms. Kelcher.

_After the shot rang through the air, and the life faded from Chloe Kelcher’s eyes – a once successful, normal woman whose love for a serial killer had turned her into a monster herself – Lucifer launched forward to reach her dying body and commanded quietly._

_“Oh no, not yet…” He kneeled next to her. “You’ll never see him again. I’ll make sure of it. You’ll never see the stars again, little _dove,” _he sneered, utterly disgusted. He had a particular hatred for those who committed rape. “You have my word. I have a message to deliver to Dromos.”_

_“Wh-?”_

_“Oh, don’t worry,” he smiled. “You’ll know.”_

_He put a hand on her cheek and whispered a few words that Emily could not hear. Even if she did, she had the distinct feeling that she would not understand what he had said._

_Ms. Kelcher died, her facial expression betraying the last emotion she had felt before her life ended._

_Terror._

“What did you tell her?” asked Morgan, putting down his headphones in order to give the devil his full attention.

“Well, she’s a dove, isn’t she?” Lucifer smiled, looking out of the window of the plane, possibly trying to look for the stars. “She wanted to become the Dove of The Heavenly Waters. Now she’s Hell’s Carrier Pigeon. Other side of the same coin, really. Her first message was to my… Third in command, you would call him, I guess. Dromos. I gave him detailed instructions about The Angel Maker’s punishment. She won’t have a choice but to deliver the message that contains her lover’s eternal torment. Her soul’s mine now. She condemned herself out of her own free will. Now, she has an eternity to think about the choices that led her there.”

Emily nodded slowly, shuddering a bit. She never asked for the details of Cortland Bryce Ryan’s punishment.

Neither did anyone else on the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References:  
https://www.britannica.com/place/Sodom-and-Gomorrah  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodom_and_Gomorrah  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation_family#Heavenly_Waters


	4. Minimal Loss (4.3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hotch!”  
The scream tore from him. Prentiss and Reid were in danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU! Sorry for not responding to the last amazing round of reviews. Will do so this weekend.
> 
> Keep 'em coming :)

JJ was never tense.

Among the many things Derek cherished about that woman were her balls of steel and steadfast personality during a crisis. It was no wonder she held the job as press liaison for one of the most challenging units of the FBI with such ease. It was no wonder that the mere thought of someone replacing her during her pregnancy – even if only for a short period of time – was absolutely demoralizing. Her words held sway over Hotch in a way nobody else on the team had, with the exception of perhaps Garcia.

Seeing her quickly stalk to his desk with a curt ‘Morgan’ that only barely covered her fear was therefore utterly terrifying.

“What’s up, JJ?”

_“The routine questions-and-answers meeting by Colorado Child Services has turned into a violent and deadly standoff between Colorado authorities and a fringe religious group known as the Separatarian Sect,_” said the reporter with almost voyeuristic glee.

Derek’s blood ran cold once he realized that this was happening in La Plata County, Colorado, the county where Emily and Reid had gone to help a child protection agent in interviewing children from a closed community after 911 received a call from an underage girl who made sexual allegations against the leader of the sect.

“JJ, that’s not the ranch where Prentiss and Reid are?” breathed Derek, already knowing the answer.

“Ther’re still inside,” said JJ quietly.

“_Hotch!”_ the scream tore from him; he could feel the adrenaline rush through him so suddenly that he started to shake. He felt the pulse of his carotid artery against the skin of his neck.

He could see Hotch hanging up the phone and leaving the office at record speed, joined by Rossi who – like the rest of the room – was drawn to Derek’s shout.

“Prentiss, Reid,” was all he could say pointing at the TV, his panic efficiently closing his throat.

All the phones started to ring at the same time.

“Okay, this means that we have the lead with Hostage Rescue in support,” said Hotch. His calm was a balm to Derek’s fluttering nerves. “Let’s go. Morgan, call Lucifer-“

“Not necessary, Agent Hotchner, I saw,” was the devil’s grim reply as he emerged from… where the Hell was he coming from? “Apologies, Ms. Carter,” continued Lucifer, addressing Tina Carter, a member of the BAU/HRT communication and research team, who had almost dropped all the files in her arms after hearing his voice right behind her.

“What-“ she began.

“Later, Tina,” said Hotch. “JJ, Dave, Morgan, Lucifer, we’re leaving now. Lucifer, it’s good to have you with us.”

On the plane, they received an update on why exactly Colorado State Police had raided the ranch while Child Services were conducting their interviews – namely, the State Attorny General, Jim Wells, wished to challenge the governor on his next election and thought that this bust would be a great idea, which explained why ATF had not told them about this six-month investigation on the guns that were at the ranch.

Moreover, Garcia told them about Liberty Ranch, founded in 1980 by Leo Kane who built this self-sustaining community but left eight years ago and was arrested for assault and tax evasion. He was a diehard libertarian, believing that you could do whatever you wanted as long as you did not infringe on someone else’s rights (_“Oh nice, finally a human that understands the point of free will, though I have met enough libertarians in Hell to know that not all adhere to the second part of their belief system.”)._ Its current leader was the one who introduced religion to the community: Benjamin Cyrus, who had to be living under an alias, because Garcia could not find anything about him.

The drive to the ranch was quiet and tense. Unsurprisingly, and contrary to proper procedure, Hotch put Rossi in charge of the hostage negotiation as soon as they arrived.

For good reason.

Rossi was the best. He had taught every FBI agent on the scene how to handle a hostage situation. They also needed someone in charge who could predict Emily’s and Reid’s moves as well as Cyrus’. Apart from all that, Hotch also had his hands full explaining to Lucifer why he could not just walk in there and free their team members by himself. IT would have been dangerous to put somone in charge that was unaware of Lucifer’s true identity when he was this tense.

Still, the BAU certainly was not objective, and giving Rossi the lead remained a risk. In the end, all Derek could do, was play support and keep a clear head.

Which included keeping Lucifer from ripping off the AG’s head for endangering Reid and Emily. It helped that Hotch was all too willing to tear Wells a new one and to kick him off the scene with a cold “I am the one to decide whether to charge you for obstructions of justice or negligent homicide. Get off my crime scene!”

After that brief moment of satisfaction and after establishing contact with HRT, the next minutes were grim with Rossi explaining the ‘Minimal Loss Scenario.’

They would not be able to save everyone. The leader and his diehard supporters likely would not survive the standoff, and all the FBI could do, was try to save as many members of the base as possible using the _trickle-flow-gush _strategy_._

Lucifer was very quiet, listening intently.

That he was not just listening to Rossi, Derek realized a few minutes later when he reassured Rossi, Derek, JJ and Hotch (carefully making sure they were alone) that both Reid and Emily were fine, sounding worried but unhurt.

“Keep an ear out for them, will you?” said Hotch. “We’re trying to get microphones in, but if it fails…”

“Agent Hotchner, you’ll be the first to know. Right now, I can tell you that there are a lot of very scared people trapped within these supposedly free walls, and that whom I assume is Benjamin Cyrus, is malicious to the core. He is calm and collected, and he thinks he knows what’s coming.”

The first contact was via phone, and Derek had to abandon the conversation halfway through to prevent Lucifer from ignoring Hotch’s orders.

“He’s abusing the Bible to justify his own sick desires,” hissed Lucifer letting himself be removed from the room and out of (human) hearing range. “I’m by no means a blind follower of Dad, but he frowns upon child molestation and he detests false prophets. This isn’t right.”

“I hear you, man, but charging in now might endanger Prentiss and Reid.”

By the time Lucifer was sufficiently calm, Rossi had negotiated a brief visit to the church to drop off supplies as a sign of good faith – Lucifer scoffed at that choice of words – and Hotch managed to convince the devil that people could die if anything went wrong with the exchange, so Lucifer could not go with Rossi.

The placement of the supplies and thus the microphones worked beautifully.

They were listening in just in time to hear that Cyrus and his goons had poisoned the wine from which all the sect members drank.

Rossi vehemently said that this did not fit the profile, but Derek and Hotch both ignored him and would have gone in if Lucifer had not said, “Poison isn’t the way he’s going to go. There’s no glory in that. He’s a false prophet. He has not made his message clear enough yet.”

Through the speakers, Cyrus confirmed what both Rossi and Lucifer suspected but Derek had not been willing to see, _“Be still, for there was no poison. Instead, a test of faith ‘because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion choosing whom he may devour.’”_

If Derek had not immediately faced Lucifer, he would have missed the flash of flaming red in Lucifer’s eyes.

“Oh, devour you I just might, Mr. Cyrus,” whispered Lucifer. “If you hurt them…”

Thankfully, JJ distracted them by announcing the former sect leader’s arrival.

Leo Kane was an intelligent, polite gentleman and he gave them a lot of important information.

Cyrus’ real name was Charles Mulgrew. He had grown up on the ranch, smart and mouthy. At seventeen, he was kicked off the farm following allegations of sexual misconduct that were relayed to Kane.

Young girls.

Derek felt vaguely ill. Lucifer seemed furious and when Kane said that he would do everything to send that ‘son of a bitch straight to Hell,’ Lucifer only said, “He’s heading there, don’t worry.”

With Cyrus’ true identity revealed, it was easy for Garcia to find out that he had gone to prison for statutory rape, which was bad news. If he did hard time, he would not want to be captured alive knowing what would be done to a child molester in prison.

Before they could release a statement that the sexual allegation were false in order to defuse the situation, the press released a report from an anonymous source at the State Attorny General’s department that there was an FBI agent with the Child Protection Service workers.

The next minutes were Hell… or what Derek assumed would be his Hell if he ever crossed the line and winded up there.

The tense moments until Emily gave herself away to protect Reid.

The blows and Emily’s grunts of pain as he beat her up.

Hotch wanting to go in with Lucifer right by his side, but Rossi calling them back after they heard her unmistakable _‘I can take it.’_

A provocation to Cyrus, but a clear message to them.

They could not betray her trust that way.

Derek had no idea how Hotch would explain the broken table to Strauss.

Lucifer had not even hit it that strongly.

They all listened – with various degrees of pride and dread – how Reid managed to keep his cover posing as a potential follower and admirer of Cyrus.

A smart move, but grating to hear. Lucifer seemed genuinely worried.

“What is he doing?” asked the devil. “He cannot possibly support that cretin.”

“He doesn’t,” said JJ calmly. “You know he doesn’t. He’s establishing a connection to him.”

And he did. He even convinced Cyrus to release a hostage, a young girl whose parents had been killed during the raid and whom Derek all too happily picked up.

Cyrus’ ‘_God wants to save you’_ caused a visceral reaction from Lucifer who growled.

“He doesn’t need saving, and Dad wouldn’t save the likes of you. You’re _mine_, you manipulative bastard.”

Cyrus then alluded to another ‘sign of good faith’ in which he released all those who had failed the test of faith. He further announced his surrender by tomorrow noon.

There was no way this was not a lie.

Rossi was right: they had to strike tonight, but they needed to let both Reid and Emily know about the time of the raid. While preparing the food that Cyrus asked for, Derek overheard a fierce conversation.

“-get them out, Agent Hotchner. She’s isolated. There’s a woman with her, but that is it. I can Shadow Stride in without being discovered. I can get them both out.”

“I know,” said Hotch calmly. “But what about everyone else?”

“I don’t care. Joining that community was there choice.”

“What about the children?” countered their Unit Chief, which earned him a dismissive scoff, and he sighed. “I guarantee you that neither of them would want to leave. Please, trust me, with the current strategy, we’ll be able to save the most lives.”

“But… Dr. Reid and Agent Prentiss may die,” said Lucifer, and it was clear that, being the face of divine justice or not, his priorities were quite clear.

“I don’t like this any more than you do, Lucifer,” said Hotch gently. “Humans are fragile. Our job is dangerous, but we do it willingly. You won’t always be there for us, but if one of us gets hurt in your absence – or your presence – doesn’t make it your fault.”

The devil looked stricken at the sudden turn of this conversation, but his expression clearly showed that this was a major concern for this powerful person who was very accustomed to exercising said power.

He let them prepare the raid unchallenged until he heard Emily.

Thanks to the instructions she relayed to Lucifer (obviously having assessed his hearing range far more accurately than the rest of the team), they quickly located Emily and were able to give her the time of the raid. This was also the moment where Lucifer suddenly disappeared (literally… almost before their very eyes) and reappeared less than five minutes later, visibly dismayed.

“You were right, Agent Hotchner. She doesn’t wish to leave.”

“I’m sorry.”

“She said that she appreciated the thought, but she could not leave because it is her duty to protect the innocents still residing on that ranch.”

Lucifer was not happy about it, but it was clear that he accepted her choices, possibly even understood them. If there was one thing he understood, it was duty.

That did not mean he had to like it.

Checking his gear, Derek hated to order Lucifer to stay behind. He did not have the proper training to be involved in a raid, and they were not allowed to take him with them.

However, it seemed that Hotch was willing to risk only so much, “You keep an ear out. If Emily or Reid get into lethal trouble, I don’t care what the consequences will be, but you have my permission to do whatever you have to do to keep them safe.”

“Yes, Agent Hotchner,” smiled Lucifer darkly.

At first, it looked like no celestial interference was needed. Emily beautifully managed to get the women and children to the basement as she said she would, but then Jessica Evanson, the fifteen-year-old girl forced into a marriage with Cyrus, angrily spat at her mother that she was trying to keep her apart from Cyrus.

Derek was too stunned to react when the girl rushed past him in order to flee into the open arms of the man who had obviously groomed her. None-too-gently he prevented the mother from following (after all, while he was sympathetic, she had given consent to let her underage daughter become married to that toxic sociopath), and went after her himself with Mark Johnson, a member of the assault team, following close behind. Thankfully, the path from the basement to the church was straightforward, and although they did not come across the girl, they reached the ‘temple’ quickly.

Through the entrance, he heard Cyrus' calm voice mock Reid who had probably used the Bible to make them stop. Derek did not know for sure, but he knew the Kid: he would always try to resolve a conflict with words.

_“’Do not suppose that I have come to the Earth to bring peace. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.’” _The grunt from Reid caused Derek to grit his death, and he sharply gestured at Mark to get ready: the agent positioned himself and nodded.

“They could have chosen not to follow me,” said Cyrus. “God could have stopped me."  
That was their cue. He nodded to Mark, aimed and shot one of the scumbag's followers. His finger was already on the trigger as he aimed for Cyrus, but a familiar form suddenly appeared in his line of fire.  
_'No clear shot. Point your gun away from the bystanders.'  
_Reflexes so ingrained, his hands acted before his head could comprehend what he was was doing.

"He just did," said Reid gleefully.

Cyrus was casually disarmed and thrown toward the altar as if he weighed nothing. As soon as this case was over, he would have to explain to Lucifer that he could not just appear in someone's line of fire during an assault. This could cost lives.

Later.

Now, he was intent on enjoying the show. He gestured to Johnson to get out.

They had things under control. The trigger (bomb? A brief glimpse at the explosives nearby made him all the more grateful for Lucifer’s appearance. He would not have wanted to shoot another bullet in here) was on the ground.

“Alarm bomb squad,” said Derek to Johnson. “Then look for the girl and get out.”

Johnson was barely out when Cyrus’ recovered from his fall staring at Lucifer.

“Who are you?”

“The roaring lion, I think you said. Earlier. I was mentioned in your sermons,” grinned Lucifer showing far too many teeth.

Cyrus blanched.

“You’re a devil.”

“_The_ devil, if you please,” said Lucifer. “There is only one. Now you mentioned a sword. Do you know what the sword is, Benjamin Cyrus?”

His grin was devilish and though he still had assumed no features that would unequivocally identify him as ‘not of this Earth,’ his aura was inhuman enough to be unsettling.

“Dad meant justice. And that will forever be me.”

With that, he turned to the altar, spread his arms wide, and with his eyes closed, he faced the sky. It was breathtaking. Derek could almost see a silhouette of divine light surround his colleague.

“Dad? I know we’ve had out quarrels and disagreements in the past. I know you don’t approve of anything I do, but Dad? This here, this mockery of true faith, is something we both despise. If you want me to level this false place of worship to the ground, give me a sign.” He lowered his arms and all that remained from that strange and terrifying light, was a shadow of where it used to be. It seemed as if all the light was sucked from the room. Lucifer faced Cyrus again, his eyes dark but not red.

“Or don’t and he’ll face _my_ judment.”

For a moment, nothing happened.

It was so silent, you could have heard a pin drop.

Then, the altar flared glaringly bright and all but Lucifer had to look away. Derek could almost hear the echo of a melody humming something that might be words in a language unknown to him. The light faded as quickly as it appeared, and Derek caught a glimpse of Lucifer’s facial expression before he had to turn away.

Lucifer often displayed the gleeful playfulness of a six-year-old. He rarely wore an expression that reminded Derek of a four-year-old who looked up to his father with awe and wonder.

“Alright,” exclaimed the devil happily before he turned and almost gently hit against Cyrus’ chest; the sect leader was thrown across the room and harshly crashed against a wall, losing consciousness instantly.

_“No!”_ shouted the girl, Jessica, who had appeared out of nowhere. “You killed him!”

“No, he’s al-“ Lucifer dismissed her, but she did not listen.

To Derek’s horror, her fingers were clasped around the trigger of the bomb.

_Stupid. So stupid. How could Johnson have missed that? How could Derek forget to pick up the goddamn trigger?_

“Morgan, run!” shouted Reid.

A strong hand pushed him out of the room, and less than three seconds later, a deafening explosion destroyed parts of the church.

“Lucifer,” breathed Derek. He knew it was irrational. That could not have touched him, but he still worried. It was his job to worry. He should have taken the trigger.

“Morgan, he’s fine. He got us out. He’s fine,” said Reid gently, holding him back.

Indeed, Lucifer was fine.

And absolutely furious.

He was dragging Cyrus’ body by the scruff, not caring in the least to protect the sect leader’s body from being black and blue by tomorrow. His other hand was around Jessica’s upper arm. She was trying to fight him off, but to no avail.

“Let me go!” cried the girl, tears streaming down her face.

“Shut up!” growled Lucifer, letting go off Cyrus.

“Jesse!”

“Reid!”

The mother and Emily rushed toward them.

“I’m fine,” said Reid, “But-“

“Mom!” pleaded the girl.

“Let go off my-“

“You married her off to a monster. I don’t care what the law says,” whispered Lucifer. “All claims you had on the child are forfeit, so don’t you dare tell me what to do! And now to you.” Lucifer’s eyes blazed angrily, but his self-control was unshakable and there was no sign of hellfire in his eyes. “You stupid, naïve, idiot girl! You almost murdered innocents, you little imbecile! And don’t bother with the crocodile tears, you are no longer a child,” he sneered. “In your blind love for that manipulative, pathetic bastard of a man, you were willing to become a murderer, and you will _hear me_.”

The girl was petrified. She no longer tried to free herself.

“Your selfishness nearly cost the lives of two of my friends,” continued Lucifer, his tone lethal. “You have no idea how many acitivites I have planned for you if you ever make it to Hell, and make no mistake, you earned no celestial favors today. Get out of my sight before I forget myself and I hurt a larval human.” He flung her toward her mother. When the mother looked back at him, Lucifer’s eyes glowed a deep, dark red. “Pray that you’ll never see me again.” They rushed away quickly, too scared to scream, self-preservation instincts in overdrive.

“Is he still alive?” asked Reid, his eyes on the motionless body.

“Yes,” said Lucifer. “I could shield them from the blast, but it ruined my suit. I should have let them burn together.”

“Thank you,” said Emily quietly. “Thanks for not doing it.”

“I have it from good authority that child molesters suffer in jail. It’s nothing compared to what Dromos will do him after, however. I made sure he knows that.”

“He’s unconscious,” said Hotch, who had appeared with Rossi from… somewhere. Derek needed to sleep. He dreaded confessing to his boss how he had slipped up. He hated disappointing Hotch, although he knew the man would understand.

“Good,” smiled Lucifer. “Dreams are excellent messengers. He won’t know why he’s terrified and he’ll spend the rest of his life dreading what’s to come. Like his victims dreaded his advances. That is the definition of poetic justice, I’d say.”

Derek grinned in response. He liked that.

“Now, let’s clear the scene,” said Lucifer, much calmer and no longer angry. “I made a promise to Dad. This place burns tonight. It is God’s Will.”

Never before had Derek helped clear a place faster. The last pictures were taken and all the gear was packed up when dark clouds started to gather above the farm only. A lightning bolt, brighter than what could possibly be called natural, struck the top of the church and a fire spread so quickly, it almost appeared hungry. The faint smell of sulfur was in the air. Derek did not see Lucifer, but he just knew the devil was enjoying himself.

Later, once they were all back in the jet on their way home, after pretending not to overhear the reassuring conversation Emily had with Reid (_“What happened to me is not your fault”_), Rossi decided to address Lucifer, “So…”

“So what?” scoffed Lucifer. “He responded. He’s omniscient, Agent Rossi. Nothing happens in this universe without him knowing about it. He sees every electron that changes its path around an atom’s core. He simply… chooses not to interfere because whenever he decides to do something, it comes with a price. Not unlike you explained today. With Dad, it’s just infinitely more extreme. Dad could save one person… your dying mother, your child, your dog even… but what if that leads to the death of thousands? I am not defending him. His infuriating silence is as unforgivable as his intransparent meddling, and since he refuses to tell us what he actually wants, everyone is desperately trying to act from precedence. Dad punished me, so I must be evil and cannot be redeemed, right? Dad never said I wasn’t a monster, so I had to be. Dad never contradicted Heaven’s belief that Hell is its evil counterpart, so that must be it. _This_, Agent Rossi, is how my siblings think. They don’t think ‘Who is my brother? How does he act and what does that mean?’… They think ‘Who does Father think Lucifer is, because that is precisely who he must be?’ and Dad never bothered to correct them. Yet, you are right. For once, he responded and gave as clear an answer as he has given in thousands of years.” With these words, he brought his palms together and lowered his head in yet another prayer position. He did not last two seconds before he looked up again. “There. I thanked him. Without a hint of sarcasm. Happy?”

“Look!” exclaimed JJ, absolutely delighted, her gaze fixed on something outside of the plane.

“Wow,” breathed Prentiss.

Curiosity taking over, the rest approached the windows.

It was like the plane was enveloped by colors. Derek had seen rainbows from airplanes before, but this was so clear and so bright and so numerous that it seemed unreal. A sound of wonder escaped Derek’s throat as he took in the dreamlike scene. This had to be one of the most beautiful sights he had ever laid his eyes on.

“Flashy, Dad,” muttered Lucifer, but for once, he did not seem entirely disinclined to show mild appreciation. “Undeniably flashy.”

“How are you going to respond?” asked Rossi.

“What makes you think I will?”

“Well, you do have a flare for the dramatic after all.”

Lucifer smiled, but did not respond.

“How did you get into the church?” asked Reid once the rainbows faded and they stopped admiring the divine phenomenon. “There was no entrance where you came from.”

“Shadows will always give way to the former Bringer of Light, though it only works as a means to move across Hell or within short distances on Earth,” was the reply. “It’s called Shadow Stride.”

“How does that work?” asked Reid.

Half-expecting a vague answer, the entire conversation turned into a physics lesson so complex that Derek gave up around ten seconds in and even Reid had trouble following Lucifer’s explanations, though that did not seem to curb his enthusiasm. On the contrary, it looked like all the pain and fear from the past two days was washed away in the face of some high-level physics lecture.

The next day, Derek was not surprised to hear local and national news talking about Liberty Ranch burning down with theologists openly wondering whether this was an act of God’s Wrath. It also did not surprise him that several news outlets talked about ‘uncommonly bright stars both in the northern as well as the southern nightsky.’

How it made no sense for stars to shine brighter in an almost synchronized manner given how their distances to Earth were unimaginably variable.

How many of the stars that were not ablaze last night were the ones thought to have died millions of years ago, but which were far away from Earth that their light still reached them. Derek turned off the radio once the meterologists started to discuss how the weather might have played a role.

Lucifer had once said that he was not meterologically inclined, so they were probably wrong.

Derek went to Astra later that night, only to find more than half of the team already in Lucifer’s penthouse, and Reid was listening to Lucifer’s extended exposition on what the devil called ‘glaring faults in modern astrophysics.’

Derek sat down a nearby couch and breathed in the jovial atmosphere, hugging Garcia tightly and waving casually at Hotch who was the last to arrive.

God had obviously decided that the devil could remain on Earth if he so chose or Derek was sure He would have never responded to Lucifer’s plea.

They were all safe.

It was a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to make this JJ’s POV, but she’s barely in the episode, so I went for Morgan. That homage to JJ in the beginning hopefully makes up for it…


	5. Paradise (4.4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite Dave's reassuring words, Aaron is still struggling with having missed Floyd Hansen's true nature. Thankfully, they have guardian devil on board.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the stories are back in proper order.  
Box 2 will be written next and starts right after "Like Ashes in the Wind"
> 
> This final chapter is very vignette-like, but Lucifer's presence would not have changed their excellent profile here, so I figured that I should focus on Aaron who was struggling a bit in this episode.

Floyd Hansen.

Despite Dave reassuring him that sometimes you just missed someone’s true nature, it was still disheartening to have looked into the eyes of an anger-excitation rapist and not see him for what he was.

The flight back to DC was quiet, most members of his team sleeping. They had barely slept these past two days and had worked from Monday to Sunday. They were all exhausted. Somehow, he would make sure they received the rest they deserved.

Perhaps, if Aaron had taken care of himself better, he would have seen Hansen for the malicious creature he was.

Lucifer had known instantly. He had led them straight to the cottage where Hansen had kept and hurt Ian and Abby Corbin, saying something about a trail of true evil that he could follow as easily as a dog could follow a blood trail. The devil had cut off the man’s escape route, drawn him away from everyone else and Hansen had screamed in absolute terror before tearing free and running away. Aaron was unsure if the UnSub’s death by truck was intentional or accidental, but Lucifer had scoffed telling him that it did not matter. The outcome would be the same.

Aaron understood why the devil did not really bother restraining people. After all, where would you run if you were trapped in Hell? Still, he had managed to make Lucifer promise that, in the future, he would restrain the people they were about to arrest.

All that aside, he wished he had taken Lucifer with him to that motel where Hansen had disguised himself as an employee when in truth, he was the one who had abducted the Corbins; the devil would have figured it all out instantly.

“The first time I encountered genuine evil, I was stunned,” said Lucifer quietly, sitting down next to him. Everyone else was asleep. “Celestials beings, they may have flaws, but true malice? I didn’t know what that was. I was blindsided by it and it almost killed Michael. Dad was so scared.” Hotch did not even want to think about the enormity of an entity that frightened God; not even on a good day. “If he hadn’t interfered… I could deal with being hurt, but Michael nearly dying as a result of my own ignorance and stupidity?” he scoffed. “It was a steep learning curve, but that first mistake?” he shook his head. “It stays with you. And it changed me. This drive for justice was born that day.”

“This was hardly my first UnSub,” protested Aaron, “and you must have been young… relatively speaking,” he amended.

“Relatively indeed, Agent Hotchner,” chuckled Lucifer, but he did not specify his exact age or when it happened. “Malice isn’t a human invention. You are good at it, never doubt that, probably one of the most talented species regarding evil that ever walked this Earth, but I was well-versed with malice by the time you came along and yet, mistakes still happen.”

Sometimes – often – Aaron forgot who he was talking to. There was something so human and innocent about Lucifer that made you forget who you were talking to. The devil enjoyed being the pupil so much; you forget that you are the one who should be schooled.

“I told you about my handling of _certain _cases,” continued Lucifer. “I told you how I may be able to bestow extra-punishment, but that the only way to get someone out of their rooms, is to coax them out of their own free will. It was in 14-something, can’t remember the exact year, when this girl, eighteen or nineteen, was damned to the suicide section… she’d been captured and was about to be burned on the stake, so she took the easy way out by cutting her wrists and thus landed in my domain. One of my demons noticed her and summoned me. I asked her questions. She didn’t answer them outright, but I didn’t really notice. Lying by omission is not as easily detectable as lying to my face. I was sympathetic because, you know, it was a frightening time. So, I led her to Bastet’s special corner who eagerly took in a new servant.”

“She wasn’t innocent.”

“No,” said Lucifer. “She wasn’t. She started mistreating the other souls, but they were too scared to say anything, using their fear of my authority against them, basically saying that if they bothered me, I’d put them back into their cells. By the time Bastet realized and notified me, two souls…” he sighed. “I’m not a healer, Agent Hotchner. I couldn’t save them.”

“I’m so sorry, Lucifer,” said Aaron. “Still, it’s not the same.”

“No, it’s not,” was the gentle reply. “You’re what, forty-two years old? I’ve been in the game longer than you can possibly imagine, and still, that _kid _fooled me. In my own kingdom. You talked to Hansen about two missing persons. I talked to her about who she was and I still didn’t realize. I know it’s hard, but to paraphrase a wise man whom I respect and admire: ‘_If someone gets hurt in your absence – or your presence – doesn’t make it your fault.’_ All you can do, is learn from your mistakes and make sure you don’t repeat them. Don’t let them fool you, but don’t become so suspicious that you see evil intent behind every gesture and every smile. Thinking like that would drive you insane.”

That was a heavy statement mixed with praise Aaron had no idea how to handle. Ultimately, all he said was, “I’ll remember that. Thank you, Lucifer.”

“Good,” said Lucifer, sounding very pleased. “Now, if you will excuse me. Jana has wanted to try sexting for the first time. We’ve been enjoying a most engaging conversation every since. She’s very kinky over text. It’s marvelous.”

The Unit Chief of the BAU managed to keep a straight face until the devil sat down, typing into his phone. Then he grinned, a weight lifted from his shoulders.

If the devil himself could be fooled, then who was Aaron to think, he could do it better?

Pride was a sin after all.

With that, he sent a brief text to Haley, asking her if he could visit Jack on Monday. The team deserved a day off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up will be Devile File - Box 2 - Chapter 1: 4.6 (The Instincts)

**Author's Note:**

> Reverence For Life Series - Outline [chronologic order]:
> 
> STORY 1: Return From Tartarus (posted)  
STORY 2: The Devil Comes Down to Quantico (posted)  
CM Interlude 1: The Devil Files - Box 1 (CM episode recaps and snippets with Lucifer, not necessary for main stories, posted)  
STORY 3: Like Ashes in the Wind (original case fic + original plot) (posted)  
CM Interlude 2: The Devil Files - Box 2 (more CM episodes, same as Box 1) (soon to be WIP)  
STORY 4: The True Believer (original case fic + original plot)  
CM Interlude 3: The Devil Files - Box 3 (same as Box 1 & 2)  
STORY 5: When the Fallen Angel Weeps (original case fix + original plot)  
CM Interlude 4: The Devil Files - Box 4 (same as Box 1-3)  
STORY 6: Climbing Yggdrasil (original case fic + original plot)  
CM Interlude 5: The Devil Files - Box 5 (recommended to read for end)  
STORY 7: All Stories Come to an End


End file.
